Short of developing a cure or vaccination to prevent it, a new urine test to predict if a woman will develop preeclampsia is one of the most encouraging developments the disease has seen in years. It's not on the market yet, but researchers have seemingly found a highly accurate and easy-to-administer test that could alert women and their health care providers that they're at risk of developing the deadly disease.
While just knowing it's coming doesn't necessarily mean it can be prevented, that knowledge would make a huge difference for women who are often hit by it without warning, women whose bodies turn on them with no advance clues, women like me.
I was 26 weeks along in a seemingly healthy pregnancy, working long hours at a huge corporation in Washington. On my way home one evening, I wasn't feeling well, but stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few items anyway. I made my way back to the pharmacy's blood pressure machine and was shocked by my high numbers. I asked the pharmacist if the machine was broken, and he jokingly asked, "What, does it say you're going to die?" If only he knew how close he was to being right. I often wonder what would have happened if I hadn't stopped that night.
I was admitted to the hospital later that evening, and started gaining pounds of fluid rapidly. No medications, nor bed rest, nor intervention of any kind could stop my out-of-control body at that point. Finally after just six days in the hospital, my tiny little son was delivered via emergency c-section weighing 1 pound, 15 ounces.
If I had only known what was coming, things would have been so different. Perhaps not his outcome, but I like to think he would have gotten at least a few more weeks in utero if anyone had any idea what was to come. Maybe I would have worked less, rested more, gotten more vitamin D, I don't know, but I do know that being blindsided by it was the scariest part. Doctors had dismissed my swelling, told me I wasn't at risk for the disease so I had no idea what was happening and what was to come. Then I got pregnant with my daughter, and I was terrified I would develop the disease again. What a much more enjoyable pregnancy it would have been if I'd only known then that I wasn't at risk and that I would deliver her at full-term.
Hopefully this test will give other women what I and so many other women didn't have and help them better prepare for preeclampsia instead of it just stealthily attacking them and their babies. And hopefully a cure will come next.
Did you have preeclampsia? If so, did you have any warning that it was coming?
Image via meddygarnet/Flickr
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Comments 9
I had preeclampsia with my first. I had all the warning signs starting around 30 weeks. Elevated BP's, protein in my urine, pitting edema and rapid weight gain. My doctor told me i had anxiety and was being paranoid. It wasn't until my water broke that the doctor admitted i had a problem. i spent my second pregnancy on eggshells, just waiting for it to happen again and I would take a test in a heartbeat even if it wasn't 100%.
I developed preeclampias at 31 weeks the only signs I had was high blood pressure, protein in the urine, swollen feet, hands and face and my weight was a little height due to the extra fluid from preeclampisa. I had my son at 34 weeks and he was in the NICU for about 1 1/2 before coming home. Today my son is happy and health 3 1/2 year.
I had it with all three of my pregnancies. It was the worst with the first. I woke up one morning to find that my face, hands and feet had swollen up like crazy and I was experiencing vision disturbances. I was hosipitalized that day for a couple days. Sent home on bedrest, hospitalized a month later sent home again on bedrest and finally was induced at 37 weeks. Each time my blood pressure spiked the Dr. warned me they might induce, luckily we were able to make it to 37 weeks.
I didn't but my best friend had it with both of her pregnancies. It was unexpected with her first, so it wasn't as big of a shock with her second, but it was still scary and miserable and she definitely doesn't want any more kids because if her body did that to her twice already, ain't no way she's risking it again.
nobody said anything about there being a vaccine -- she said 'short of a vaccine' ....... but anywans I was induced for high blood pressure and protein in my urine at 37.5 weeks with my daughter - although i had spent my whole third trimester worrying about preeclampsia, i am thankful i didn't start showing signs until so late
My warning came in my 36th week of pregnancy; I felt a strange "flush" go thru my body one night. I knew something had changed. I told the nurse on my regular 1-week appt the next morning that she'd find protein in my urine. After raised eyebrows at my "self-diagnosis," she and the Dr were amazed that I could call it before the test! So for me it was being attuned to the subtle cues of my body. No intervention was necessary due to being so close to my due date, and the low levels. Mom and baby A-OK!